The Third Kane
by Mac-alicious
Summary: Lilly, Duncan and Veronica Kane rule the social scene in Neptune. The three are loyal and inseparable. They once believed there was nothing that could come between them. They didn't count on Logan Echolls. AU. Multi-Chap. Rating may go up in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is another new multi-chapter story. It's an AU, wherein it was discovered that Veronica was actually Jake Kane's daughter very, very early in her childhood. I have the first three chapters written, but only this first one typed so far. The next couple chapters should be coming along soon. Enjoy. R&R! Thanks! -Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Veronica Mars.

**One**

"Lilly!" Veronica called out as she headed down the hall toward Lilly's bedroom. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Veronica stopped in front of Lilly's door and knocked three times in quick succession. "We'll be late to school if you don't get out here now."

The door swung open to reveal a half dressed Lilly and Veronica was assaulted by the full volume of the music pounding from Lilly's stereo speakers. Maybe Veronica would have been surprised to see Lilly clad in only a bra and miniskirt, if she hadn't been privy to the same sight everyday this week. Such was the routine on the first week of a new year. As a senior, Lilly had little to no motivation to find her way to school on time, even if it was at the expense of tardiness for the two juniors that rode with her to campus.

"Come on, Vee," Lilly scoffed as she turned back toward her bed. She left the door open and Veronica watched as Lilly picked up the tank top lying on her bed. As she pulled the shirt on over her head, Lilly continued, "Do you think there is a single teacher at Neptune High that would mark a Kane late?"

"No," Veronica answered, even though the answer made her roll her eyes, "but I, unlike you, actually enjoy earning my grades and perfect attendance record."

"And wherever did you acquire such a moral compass, my dear sister?"

Lilly smirked as she turned toward Veronica. She smoothed out her tank and grabbed her purse from where it hung off the corner of her bed. She started toward the door, but stopped again as she passed her vanity mirror. She leaned forward and wiped at the corner of her lips, perfecting her makeup by removing the nonexistent lipstick smudges. Puckering her lips at the mirror, Lilly gave her reflection one last look before joining Veronica in the doorway.

"I obviously didn't learn it by example," Veronica responded as Lilly passed by and headed down the hall.

"Of course not," Lilly agreed. "I've been trying to rid you of it since puberty to no avail. Now where's Donut?"

"He's in the car," Veronica said. "He sent me in to get you to hurry up."

"Lilly Kane does not hurry anywhere," Lilly said as she reached the end of the hall. "The world waits on pins and needles for Lilly Kane."

"I'll remember that," Veronica rolled her eyes as she followed Lilly out the front door to where Duncan had the car idling.

Lilly climbed into the passenger seat, leaving Veronica to hop into the backseat. Veronica slid to the center seat so she could lean over the center console between Duncan and Lilly.

"What took you girls so long?" Duncan asked.

"If you're going to complain, next time you go in for her Duncan," Veronica patted her brother on the shoulder.

Duncan looked back at Veronica briefly before he shifted in to drive and started down the driveway. "Yeah, if Lilly promises that next time she'll be wearing a shirt."

"What? Is the sight of your sister in her bra too much for your virgin eyes?" Lilly raised an eyebrow as a smirk formed on her lips. "Logan appreciated the view."

"Logan doesn't share our genetic code," Duncan shot back. "And when the hell did Logan see you in your bra?"

Lilly put up her hands as if weighing the difference, "Bra, bikini, it's all the same."

"I don't know if the average, red-blooded, teenage boy would agree," Veronica cut in, "but I've heard the only view Logan is taking in is Caitlin Ford's."

"Rumor," Lilly shook her head. "It has to be. Tell her Donut. Logan would not stoop so low as Caitlin Ford."

"I don't know the guy all that well yet, Lills," Duncan said. "But as an average, red-blooded, teenage boy, I wouldn't be surprised if he went for her."

"What is so great about Caitlin Ford that makes guys fall over her? Her sluttiness borders on gross."

"At the risk of stating the obvious," Veronica said, "She's _easy_?"

Duncan waved a hand back at Veronica, "Exactly."

Lilly turned toward Duncan, her face taking on a serious expression, "Duncan, you must promise me that you will never let Caitlin Ford near your no-no parts," the expression slipped and Lilly burst into laughter. A moment later she recomposed herself, "But seriously, you'll catch something that can't be cleared up by antibiotics."

Duncan snickered, "No worries. She's not exactly on my To-Do list."

"Moral of the story," Lilly continued, twisting around in her seat to look at Veronica in the backseat, "Always practice safe sex. See? That's good advice. I don't know why everyone thinks I'm such a bad influence on you two."

Veronica recalled the earlier conversation from the hallway and how it contradicted Lilly's last statement, but didn't say anything. She had to pick her battles when it came to her sister. Lilly contradicted herself when it suited her or the conversation. It was just the way that Lilly was wired. She wanted to persuade Veronica to indulge in all the vain, immoral and decadent activities in which Lilly herself partook, but she also liked to project the innocent and naïve image, which Veronica had naturally, toward authority figures. To the three's father, Jake Kane, and Veronica's mother and Lilly and Duncan's stepmother, Lianne, both the girls were pure, untouched angels—just as Lilly liked it. To Celest, Lilly and Duncan's biological mother, Lilly liked to flaunt her sexual escapades and irresponsibility for reasons not obvious to her siblings. That was just the way it was with Lilly. A person was never sure which side of Lilly he or she was going to get. As her sister, Veronica had gotten used to it.

It was Duncan who ultimately spoke up sarcastically, "Where ever would anyone get _that _idea?"

"Okay, so I try to get you and Vee to loosen up and have fun. Is that such a bad thing?" Lilly raised an eyebrow.

"No, Lilly, you're a good sister," Veronica said.

"Thank you, Veronica," Lilly smiled at her sister over her shoulder.

"You'd be an even better sister if you could get us to school on time at least once this year," Veronica added as Duncan pulled the car into a parking space in Neptune High's student lot.

"You're hilarious, Veronica," Lilly rolled her eyes, "really."

The three got out of the car and crossed the lot to the main building. They were a good ten minutes past the bell and they were the only stragglers still in the hall when they entered the building. They were about to part ways to go to their first classes when a figure crossed their path.

"Well if it isn't the Three Kanes. Late again, I see."

Veronica groaned to herself, "Great."

"I'll handle it," Lilly whispered to Veronica. She smiled as she turned toward the figure blocking their way. "Principal Clemmons. How are you on this beautiful day?"

"It's not going to work, Miss Kane," Clemmons crossed his arms. "I'm disappointed in the three of you. Classes have only been in session for a week."

"I swear, we can explain," Lilly said calmly. "Once you hear our excuse, you'll understand how _vital_ it was that we were late."

Clemmons looked unconvinced to Veronica, but he waved Lilly on, "Alright miss Kane, astound me."

"Well, you know how my sister and I are on the Pep Squad—pretty important members too, since I'm the captain. Anyway, we're supposed to meet with most of the girls at lunch today to go over our fundraising plans for the semester. All week I've been brainstorming ideas. Earning money for our school is a top priority for me. We were almost here this morning and we would have been on time, but I realized I had left all my notes at home. We had to go back for them. We couldn't let the Pep Squad down. The girls look up to me and Veronica."

"And your brother? What's his part in this?" Clemmons nodded toward Duncan. "Has he decided to join the Pep Squad as well?"

"No, no. Duncan just drives us to school," Lilly answered. "Anyone else would have made us come to school without the notes, but not Duncan. He sacrificed being on time in the name of school spirit."

Duncan raised a clenched fist and cheered halfheartedly, "Go Pirates."

"Show me the notes," Clemmons reached out a hand and moved his fingers in a 'give them to me' gesture.

Lilly swung her bag off her shoulder and pulled out a notebook covered in Sharpie doodles and handed it to Principal Clemmons. "They're a few pages in, behind my English notes."

Clemmons flipped through the notebook. When he found the page, he read it and then thumbed past the pages after it that continued the list. "These are extensive."

"The success of this school is of upmost importance," Lilly said passionately. "I wouldn't disgrace these halls by not taking my fundraising duties seriously."

Clemmons snapped the notebook closed and handed it back to Lilly. "Your school spirit should be commended. Now get to class before I have to make an example of you three."

"Thank you, sir," Lilly smiled brightly as she sidled past Principal Clemmons and continued down the hall.

Veronica smiled sheepishly as she and Duncan followed after Lilly.

Rounding the corner, out of sight of their principal, Lilly turned back to her siblings, "Am I good? Or am I good?"

"You're good, Lilly," Veronica agreed. "I'm glad the brainstorming you had me and Meg do came in handy, but isn't our meeting on Monday?"

"Of course," Lilly nodded, "but Clemmons doesn't know that."

"Okay, well, I'm off to class," Duncan broke in, backing away from his sisters in the direction of his class. "You coming, Vee?"

Veronica nodded.

"Wait," Lilly called out suddenly when the two were a few steps away, bring their attention back to her. "Is Logan in that class with you two?"

"Yeah," Duncan said. "Why?"

"You should invite him over for a little _get together_ at our place tonight," Lilly suggested.

"Why?" Duncan repeated.

"You said you don't know him very well yet," Lilly said. "We need to remedy that."

"I'm going to hop in with Duncan here," Veronica frowned, "_Why_?"

"The son of Aaron Echolls should not be dallying with _only_ Caitlin Ford. He should connect himself with the most powerful of names at this school. He can entertain himself with Caitlin and the other 09ers, but he should be part of the Kane's inner circle."

"I'll invite him," Duncan agreed, "but I'm going to leave out all the stuff you just said that would make me look like a psycho stalker, if you don't mind."

"Just get him there," Lilly said firmly and turned on her heel to head in the direction of her own class.

Duncan shook his head slightly as he and Veronica began walking to their class again. "She makes it impossible to say no to her."

"No?" Veronica said incredulously, "No? What is this 'no' you refer to? No doesn't exist in Lilly Kane's vocabulary and if it does, it's just another word for yes."

They paused outside the door to their classroom and Duncan asked, "Do you think he'll say yes?"

"Of course," Veronica said as she placed her hand on the doorknob, "Who says no to a Kane?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** This is the second chapter. While the first kind of centered on all the Kanes, it was more focused on Veronica. This one is centered on Logan, and the next Lilly. I think the chapters will be framed around that sequence from here on out. There are two more chapters waiting to be typed. They'll be posted soon enough. I've got a few stories in the works and I'm trying to divide my time amongst them. Anyway, Enjoy. R&R! Thanks! -Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Veronica Mars.

**Two**

Everyone knew the story of the three Kanes that ruled the social scene of Neptune High. Logan Echolls had only been in Neptune for a couple weeks and he had already heard the whole sordid tale. The girl, Caitlin, who he hooked up with the weekend before at a pool party thrown by Shelley Pomeroy, was all too happy to share all the details. He hadn't asked and hadn't cared to find out from a secondhand source, but somehow, in the limited exposure he had to the Kanes in the past week, Caitlin had caught him staring at the blonde sisters and jumped on the chance to gossip. Logan hailed from a family full of Hollywood's finest, so he was well versed in the airing of dirty laundry. He could tell by the time the first words left her mouth that Caitlin was not going to be stopped until every intimate detail was revealed, so the least he could do was listen.

Jake Kane, the software billionaire, was once married to Celeste, Lilly and Duncan's mother. They were the perfect picture of a happy family, until it was revealed that Jake had been having an affair for years. His mistress, Lianne, was the wife of Neptune's popular Sheriff Keith Mars. While Jake and Lianne had been content to carry on the affair under their spouses' noses, a paternity test proved that Lianne's two year old daughter Veronica was rightfully a Kane heiress. Caitlin was delighted to share, what she believed was, the most important piece of information: Jake and Lianne had been high school sweethearts, the King and Queen of the Prom. The news of Veronica's paternity had been devastating to the Sheriff, but he was ready to raise the daughter of another man as his own, he loved Veronica so. Lianne would have none of it, was how the town understood it. She claimed she had only married Keith because Jake had married Celeste, and then she asked for a divorce. Lianne's continued love for Jake4 confirmed, Jake broke off his marriage of convenience to Celeste and took Lianne as his bride as soon as the ink dried on the divorce papers. Lianne was now stepmother to three year old Lilly and two year old Duncan, and brought Veronica into the Kane folds, allowing her to shed all ties to the town Sheriff. Jake and Lianne were still together—one of the few 09er couples who seemed to actually love each other according to Caitlin—and the Three Kanes were basically teenage royalty. Logan didn't exactly agree with Caitlin's notion that it was a "real life, like, fairy tale," but that's the story was it was told to him.

Logan had only seen so much of the Three Kanes since he had been in Neptune. He was introduced to all of them at the pool party, his official debut into the Neptune social scene. Lilly had been attached at the mouth to a guy he hadn't learned the name of when Dick Casablancas, the son of the man who sold the Echolls their new house, introduced Logan to her. She had only detached herself because of his last name. She had offered him a flirty smile and a brief declaration of Welcome to Neptune before returning to her previous activities. Duncan and Veronica had been friendlier but by then Caitlin had caught his eye and Logan spent the rest of the party otherwise occupied. At school, he sat with the other 09ers at lunch, the Kanes included, but he spent the hour between Dick and his younger brother while the Kanes huddled around the next table over. He shared most of his classes with either Duncan or Veronica, if not both, but he was under strict orders from his father to not get in any trouble his first week so he didn't talk much during class. A week into the semester and Logan was starting to realize that his last name and zip code was going to be enough to keep him out of trouble, so he planned to revise his behavior in the coming weeks. This decision didn't seem like it was going to have any effect on his interactions with the Kanes until Duncan and Veronica slid into the empty seats on either side of him in the back row that Friday morning.

Duncan and Veronica had arrived late, which might as well have escaped the teacher's notice for all he did about it. Again, Logan reassured himself that he could probably set his desk on fire and get away with it. The teacher would probably apologize for the spontaneously combusting furniture and offer Logan use of his own desk for the duration of the session. Logan almost chuckled to himself at the thought, but he realized Duncan was trying to get his attention.

Logan cleared his throat and said quietly, "Hey man, what's up?"

"You got any plans tonight?" Duncan asked.

Logan glanced to his other side to see Veronica watching him for an answer as well. He had always enjoyed putting on a show for an audience—he was his father's son after all. "Caitlin wanted to show me her place, but if Hollywood taught me anything it's never wear the same thing twice, so I was planning on blowing her off. Why?"

"Our sister Lilly and we are having a little get together at our place. Shelley and Madison get the end of summer slot and we get to host a celebration of surviving the first week," Duncan said, "Really exclusive guest list, just hanging out at our place. Our parents will be at a Charity thing. Think you would be interested in joining us?"

"Should I expect dire consequences to befall me if I say no?" Logan asked with a smirk, "Because some people around here seem to believe that's how this works."

"Not at all. Only come if you really want to. I should probably still tell you that the last person who said no to one of us had to transfer schools," Veronica answered, "but that may have just been because his family moved to New York."

"In that case," Logan laughed lightly. "Yes, I'd love to come. It would give me no greater pleasure—am I laying this on thick enough?"

"No, please continue," Veronica laughed. "This is the best acceptance speech I've heard since your Father's last award show."

Logan rolled his eyes, "You saw that did you?"

"Lilly had bit of a celebrity crush on him once upon a time," Duncan said. "His movies are a staple in our house."

"I'll have to bring an autograph when I come over tonight," Logan responded. "On that subject, is there anything I should bring to your little soirée? _Refreshments_ maybe?"

"Nah," Duncan shook his head. "We got it covered."

"Alright then, I'll be there."

Logan sat at his usual spot with Dick and Beaver at lunch. Caitlin tried to squeeze in next to him but he ignored her, only turning toward her at the end of the lunch period to tell her that he couldn't make it to her place that evening. He spent most of the time staring at the empty seat at the Kanes' table and wondering if his name alone was enough to get him access to that exclusive club of theirs. If the Kanes weren't there, his name would let him own that school. As it was, he could be popular, he could be a big shot on campus, and he could practically do as he pleased in the eyes of the faculty; but if he wanted to control the masses, without stepping on anyone's toes, he would have to garner favor with the Kanes. It was a task he didn't think would prove to be too difficult. He would turn on the Echolls charm and if they were anything like the other rich kids he had met in his life, he would have them eating out of his hand by the end of the weekend.

When he arrived at the Kane mansion, he was shown in by a servant. As he stepped through the doorway into the room occupied by the Kanes, Logan found he was the first of the "exclusive guest list" to arrive. Duncan was lounging on a couch on the right side of the room, veronica was perched on a window seat on the left, and Lilly was approaching Logan from straight down the center of the room.

"I try to be fashionably late and I'm still the first to get here," Logan smirked. "I'm not as good at first impressions as my father is."

"Nonsense," Lilly said as she stepped forward and kissed him on both cheeks. She pulled back and offered him a sly smile, "you've made quite an impression on _me._"

"That's good to know," Logan responded. He meant to look at Lilly, but as she moved away he caught another glimpse of Veronica over Lilly's shoulder.

Veronica had changed out of the clothes she wore to school and was now wearing a modest sundress. Her long hair was swept over one bare shoulder and she had dusted on a light covering of makeup. Logan was caught off guard by how perfectly out of place she looked in the luxuriously decorated room. Even though Lilly was standing in front of him in a revealing cocktail dress that hugged all of her curves in just the right ways, Logan's eyes were drawn to the smooth slopes of Veronica's face rather than to the swell of cleavage that Lilly was purposefully pushing out toward him. Logan processed all of the differences between the two sisters in a quick moment that drew no one's attention, before Duncan had jumped up off the couch to offer him a drink.

Logan followed Duncan around the small bar to where a variety of bottles were set up. He glanced over his shoulder briefly to see that both Kane girls were watching him. "So Duncan, do you play poker?"

"Sure," Duncan shrugged. He poured them both a drink off the bottle Logan passed him. "Why do you ask?"

"I broached the idea of a poker game to some of the other guys and got some interest," Logan said, taking a quick swig of his drink. "A grand buy in; winner takes all."

Duncan pulled open a small refrigerator under the bar and plucked two bottles from the shelf with his free hand. He walked around the bar to hand the bottles to his sisters. He took a sip of his drink and pointed at Logan, "You know who you should invite? Veronica. I'd love to see her give the other guys a run for their money."

Logan's intrigue was officially peaked. He raised an eyebrow, "Veronica? _Really_?"

Veronica shook her head, her cheeks tinged pink, "I'm not that good."

"You're too modest," Duncan said as he threw an arm around her shoulders and ruffled her hair. "I don't think she's lost a hand of cards she didn't fold since we were ten, and I would say even that one was a tossup. I still think she threw the hand because our Dad was getting depressed that he hadn't won even one hand."

"Duncan, please," Veronica ducked her head. "Logan didn't come here to hear exaggerated stories about my youth."

"No, go on," Logan urged. He wondered how much longer it would take the blush to fully rise in Veronica's cheeks. "I want to hear more about the poker shark ten year old Veronica."

"See?" Duncan nudged Veronica. "So this one time—"

Veronica pushed Duncan playfully, "You're worse than my mom."

Lilly stepped in front of the two to stand between them and Logan. "The stories can wait. We invited Logan here so we could get to know _him_."

Logan met Veronica's eyes over Lilly's shoulder and she offered him a half hearted shrug. After downing the rest of his drink, he asked, "What do you want to know?"

He was prepared to tell them his life history, spare a few secrets he trusted only to himself, if that was what they wanted. There was one empty seat at the higher table at Neptune, and it was meant to be his.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** This is chapter three, Lilly takes center stage. Enjoy. R&R! Thanks! -Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Veronica Mars.

**Three**

Lilly Kane got what she wanted, everyone knew that. What everyone didn't know was that getting what she wanted didn't always come easily. She certainly got a lot of her daily perks handed to her with minimal effort on her part, just like her brother and sister—though those two didn't always seem as keen to accept them as she was—and the other 09ers. There were other things, though, that required hard work and skill to acquire them.

Logan Echolls was shaping up to be one of the latter things.

There was going to be a certain level of manipulation and deception she would need to employ to get Logan's attention. Being Lilly Kane alone was enough to turn the heads of every eligible bachelor in Neptune—even those who_ weren't _eligible—but Logan was new to Neptune. He had yet to be made acquainted to the way things worked in his new home. A boy of his status shouldn't settle for Caitlin Fords, Madison Sinclairs, or Shelley Pomeroys. They were good enough for the likes of Dick, Casey and even Duncan—the latter because the only girls truly suited for his place in society happened to be his sisters. It hadn't taken long for Lilly to be certain that the best and only match for Logan was herself. She knew it, but it was taking more than a little cleavage and a few flirty smiles to get him to know it too.

Lilly wasn't worried in the slightest. She had spent the weekend mulling over her strategy for drawing Logan in come Monday. It hadn't escaped her notice that Logan had spent much of Friday night with his eyes on Veronica. That was an obstacle that wouldn't be too difficult to traverse. Veronica had little social ambition and often did whatever Lilly told her to do without question—or at least not too many questions. A good enough explanation for why Lilly and Logan were meant to be together and Veronica would back off. Once Veronica was out of the way, Lilly would pull out all the stops. Logan wouldn't know what hit him.

While Lilly had hoped to have the whole weekend alone with her thoughts to scheme, those plans were disrupted by her mother's decision to _insist_ on time with her children. Celeste had kept further distance the older her children got and the longer Jake and Lianne were happily married, but when she showed up Lilly was hard pressed to find any excuse that would work on her mother. Sunday afternoon, Celeste came calling and Lilly and Duncan had to answer, leaving Veronica alone at the originally planned family dinner with Jake and Lianne.

Lilly wasn't old enough at the time to know the story of her parents' split, Veronica's coming out as a Kane heiress or the subsequent union of her father to Lianne firsthand, but she had heard the whispers that still ran rampant in Neptune even after nearly fifteen years. It was these whispers that dictated much of what Celeste did in public. This was something Lilly knew and exploited. Celeste liked to uphold the pretense that she was just fine, if not better off, without Jake Kane—even though it was common knowledge that it was virtually impossible to do better than Jake Kane in Neptune and Celeste had lost him to a Sheriff's wife. A favorite way to display her _prosperous _life was to take her teenage children to expensive restaurants to treat them to expensive meals while under the guise of spending quality time with them.

Lilly swirled her wine glass of water, wishing for a moment that this particular establishment was more lax with their alcohol policies—not that her mother would allow her the indulgence should the place serve her in the first place. She took a swig off her glass and pretended it was something stronger, "How long do we have to sit here pretending to be a happy broken family?"

Duncan paused in the middle of cutting into his half eaten steak and glanced at their mother to gauge her reaction.

Celeste put down her wine glass—which was actually filled with a pricey red—and dabbed at her lips with her napkin. "If you would rather be playing house with your father and the Mars women, be my guest."

Lilly rolled her eyes and pushed away her plate. She had nibbled on a salad that cost almost as much as Duncan's steak, but she never had much of an appetite around her mother. "Veronica is our sister and as much of a Kane as we are. I know how you hate when I cause a scene, mother, so leave Veronica out of whatever grudge you're holding or things are guaranteed to get very ugly very quickly."

"You accept the role she plays now, Lilly darling," Celeste said, "but there will come a day when you see the way she intruded on your lives and resent her for it."

"Don't count on it."

"Seriously, Mom," Duncan finally spoke up. "Veronica _is_ our sister. We grew up together. She's a part of our family and so is Lianne. Maybe you're the one who needs to accept that for the way it is."

Lilly waved a hand at her brother, "Exactly. It's only been _fifteen years_."

"Alright, sweetie," Celeste murmured, patting Duncan's hand gently. "Let's just talk about something else. How's student council shaping up this year?"

Lilly made no attempts to disguise her distaste for her mother's blatant favoritism. In fact, it was the basis for her campaign to contradict her mother on just about everything. If it would cause an argument, Lilly would do it. If it would earn her mother's disapproval, she would do it. Celeste often showered her favor on her younger child, her precious boy Duncan, for no apparent reason; it seemed that the least Lilly could do was provide a legitimate reason.

Lilly had inherited one particular thing from her mother: her ability to hold a grudge as long as it suited her. While Celeste obsessively blamed Lianne for her lot in life, Lilly would always have something to hold against her mother. It had happened before Lilly could remember, but it was hardly kept secret as time passed and the three Kanes grew up. When negotiating the terms of their divorce, Celeste had fought Jake for custody…of Duncan. It was suggested that the two split custody of both children and Celeste withdrew her claim in exchange for an increase in her monetary settlement. Her mother had wanted Duncan all to herself, but the thought of having Lilly even half the time was enough to pretty much give up her children all together. There was no reason for Celeste to not want the three year old Lilly, but the eighteen year old Lilly, who would never forget how it felt when she learned her mother didn't want her, would give her all the reasons in the world.

"Student council is student council. Rich, popular kids doing what they want with the school because they're the only ones the faculty cares about," Lilly broke in, cutting off Duncan's comments about the possibility of reforming Pirate Point. "Duncan could win any school election, blindfolded and hogtied, because there is no one at Neptune High who rivals his popularity besides, of course, me and Veronica. Though Logan Echolls might be able to provide some competition if he were to throw his hat in. Not that he ever would. He doesn't seem like the school spirit type. He strikes me as the type to be passively indifferent to the inner workings of student organizations."

"Lilly, must you?" Celeste was glaring.

Duncan shook his head. "They _are _glorified popularity contests. I only partake because Dad thinks it will look good on my applications."

"As if you need any more padding on your resume," Lilly scoffed. "He's pretty much guaranteed acceptance anywhere, "We all are."

"You should still strive to look your best for colleges—" Celeste started.

"Oh, I always look my best, mother," Lilly lowered her voice. She adjusted the steep neckline of her dress and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I would never dream of making you look bad."

After dinner hat drawn to its inevitable, tense close, Celeste dropped them off and peeled away with little more than a quick goodbye. Lilly watched her mother's car disappear down the driveway before turning on her heels toward the front door. She hoped they were still eating inside and that the meal they were sharing was more appetizing than the wilted greens masquerading as a gourmet salad she had at the restaurant.

Duncan took a few steps to catch up with her, "Do you have to be such an instigator when it comes to Mom?"

"Any strife we have originated from her," Lilly waved a dismissive hand. "Besides, it's not my fault that Mommy Dearest only notices me when I step out of line. It's not like with you. You breathe and she sings your praises. I could cure cancer and she would find some way to criticize me," Lilly took on an imitation of Celeste's voice, "'Oh you cured cancer? What took you so long? Too bad you didn't end world hunger while you were at it?'"

"You could cut her some slack, Lilly."

"It's been fifteen years, Donut," Lilly snapped. "She needs to let it go. Call Lianne whatever you want—home wrecker, adulteress, etcetera—but she has shown that she cares about me more than the woman who bore me does. You wouldn't understand being the favored child and all. I have to make due with what I'm given."

"I noticed she didn't rise to the bait when you name dropped Logan into casual conversation," Duncan said. He never was one to acknowledge his privileged role in their mother's heart—if it was a heart that she possessed in that space in her chest and not an empty black pit.

"A name like Echolls isn't going to get a reaction out of her. I could parade a line of Logan Echolls under her nose and she wouldn't flinch," Lilly responded. "She might actually _approve_ of such a match. It's all about appearance, remember?"

"You two would definitely _appear_ to be a good match," Duncan shrugged. "Not sure he would feel the same way about that though."

"Oh, but he will," Lilly smiled. At last she could return to her previous tasks. "Just give it time, Donut. People have a way of coming to see my way about things."

"You're not wrong about that."

Lilly laughed, "When am I wrong about anything?"

When Lilly and Duncan entered the living room, Jake and Lianne were cuddled together on the couch and Veronica was laying on the love seat. A movie was playing on the big screen and the three were watching with rapt attention. The only light in the room was the soft blue glow from the TV screen.

"A movie without us?" Duncan mock pouted. He crossed the room and picked up Veronica's stretched out legs to clear a spot on the love seat. He sat down and deposited Veronica's feet back on his lap. "What are we watching?"

Lilly didn't stick around to hear the answer. She instead moved to the kitchen to seek out any leftovers that might be present. She found a plate already made up and wrapped in foil in the refrigerator. It wasn't the first time she had come home seeking supplements to her dinners with her mother—and Lilly's point about Lianne was reaffirmed. Lilly took the plate and unwrapped it. As she moved to warm it a few minutes, she left her mind ponder the Logan situation once again.

By the time she returned to the living room, with steaming plate in hand, to join her family, the gears were turning. Her masterpiece needed only to be set in motion.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Chapter four, back with Veronica. I have another chapter written but not typed, as well as a chapter in the middle of being written. So those should be up soon. Enjoy. R&R! Thanks! -Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Veronica Mars.

**Four**

"Okay, be honest," Logan said as he slid into the seat next to Veronica in the one class they had together sans the other two Kanes, "was Friday a setup to get me alone with the three of you?"

Veronica raised an eyebrow, "Why would you think that?"

"Well, for starters, I was the only one there for hours as all the other guests arrived suspiciously late."

"You caught us," Veronica sighed, rolling her eyes. It would figure that her sister's behavior would lack subtlety. Lilly was good at manipulating situations in her favor, but they often exuded an air of blatancy that made people aware at some level that they were being controlled—though Veronica had met quite a few people at Neptune high who couldn't tell at all. "Lilly told everyone else that the party started a couple hours later than what she told you."

"Ah-ha," Logan said dramatically. He grinned, "I think I could make a pretty decent private detective."

"Your skills rival Neptune's very own Vinnie Van Lowe," Veronica snorted "A dog in shades and a plastic badge could have seen through Lilly's charade."

"I should be insulted, but you speak the truth," Logan said. "So, tell me this, oh wise Veronica Kane, what was the purpose of this ruse?"

"I don't pretend to understand all of the things my sister does," Veronica answered. It wasn't the full truth, but it wasn't a lie.

"Your best guess?" Logan raised an eyebrow.

"Would be no better than yours," Veronica countered. She turned away to pull her things for class out of her bag.

"Okay then," Logan tapped his fingers on his desktop. "A different question: why did _you_ go along with it? If I'm to believe the idle gossip of the halls, Kanes don't do anything unless it benefits them in one way or another. So what did my exclusive presence do to benefit you?"

Logan's voice held a tone that suggested double meaning. Veronica felt the warmth flood her cheeks as she considered what implications he was making. She kept her eyes on her desk and held her composure. She opened her folder and uncapped her pen without a word. Before their teacher could arrive, Veronica turned to Logan one last time to answer.

"It benefits me to not go against my sister," Veronica said. "The three of us act as one more often than not. So when Lilly catches onto a passing whim, Duncan and I follow along."

"Is that all I am? A passing whim?"

Veronica smirked, channeling Lilly's seductive attitude for a brief moment. She lowered her voice to a husky whisper, "I guess you'll just have to find out for yourself."

The door to the classroom swung open and their teacher strode in, immediately calling the class to order. Logan sat back in his chair and turned his attention to the front, but Veronica saw the smile that creeped over his lips. She wasn't sure what to think of him yet. At the party-ish get together, Logan had been charming and open. He told them stories of growing up in Hollywood and on location with Aaron and Lynn Echolls as his parents. He had been forthcoming with answers to all the questions Lilly pestered him with. Veronica now knew all about his favorite movie, Easy Rider; his favorite pastime, surfing; and his proclivity to leave inspirational messages as his voicemail recording. For the short time they had spent in Logan's company, the thing that Veronica knew best about Logan was that there was something that he wasn't telling them. She didn't know if it was something important or trivial. She just knew he wasn't sharing it with the three of them. Logan was welcome to his secrets; Veronica certainly had her own. Neptune was a city that thrived on the unspoken truths. Logan Echolls would fit right in.

Lilly had decided not only that Logan was a great fit for Neptune, but also a great fit for herself. Her sister hadn't said as much in those exact words, but Veronica could tell. Lilly wasn't working toward connecting Logan to the Kane trio, but to herself specifically. Veronica had mixed feelings about the whole ordeal, but she often did when it came to Lilly's schemes. This time more than usual, though, because Lilly wasn't sharing her plans with Veronica and Duncan as readily as in the past. It could be a slip up and Lilly would lay it out for them soon. Yet Veronica had a feeling that Lilly had other reasons. Like Logan, she would have to wait and see what would happen.

In the meantime, Veronica had other things to focus on—like what her teacher was saying to the class.

"Break into pairs everyone and discuss this weekend's reading. I'll have an assignment for the week handed out at the end of class."

Veronica glanced over at Logan and he nodded to her unasked question. He turned his desk toward hers and scooted closer. Incoherent chatter began to raise up around the classroom as other pairs began to talk—only half of which were actually discussing the assignment. Veronica pulled out her book and turned to the notes she had taken. Logan had his own book out, but from the look of its spine it hadn't been opened past the title page.

"Since you were honest with me about Friday, I'll be honest to you about something," Logan said. "I didn't do the reading."

Veronica smiled, "I can tell."

"So, do you wanna give me the sparknotes version or should we skip discussing it all together?"

"We certainly wouldn't be the only ones," Veronica closed her folder. "Anything in particular you'd like to talk about instead?"

"Sure," Logan nodded, "You, Veronica."

Veronica frowned, "What about me?"

"You're interesting, Veronica. Does it surprise you that I want to get to know you?" Logan said.

"I'm not that interesting."

Logan shook his head, "Sure you are. You're different than the people in the circles you run in. That alone is enough to peak my interest."

"And being different than those people, I wouldn't know what to say in an extended conversation about myself," Veronica said, "Now, _Lilly_, she could talk about herself for hours and not run out of things to say about herself."

"That doesn't surprise me," Logan scooted his desk an inch closer to Veronica's and lowered his voice, "but I don't want to talk about Lilly."

"Why not?" Veronica already felt uncomfortable with the focus on her. She didn't mind the spotlight when she chose to be the center of attention—as rare as those times were—or when it was thrust upon her as part of the collective unit of the Three Kanes, but it was nearly unbearable when unwanted and solely on her. It also didn't help that Veronica knew Lilly had something planned for Logan. It was best if she steered conversation back to her sister. "She's the one bring us all together. Lilly has taken an interest in you. Why not reciprocate?"

Logan studied her face for a few moments without a word. Veronica wondered what it was that he was trying to find in her features. She resisted the urge to pick up where she had trailed off and keep talking to fill the gap in conversation. She assumed that, eventually, Logan would say something.

"Should I believe that Lilly is the only one that has taken an interest in me?" Logan asked finally.

Veronica chose her words carefully, "What interests my sister interests me."

"But only to the point that it helps serve her purpose?"

"That's how it usually works, yes."

"Usually," Logan repeated. A small smile formed, suggesting that he had heard exactly what he wanted to hear.

"I know you're no stranger to getting what you want," Veronica continued. Time for diversion was over. She would have to be straightforward. "The 09ers at this school, my siblings and me included, all have our ways. Lilly is opening up a space for you at the top of the social ladder here—a place that is rightfully yours because of your name alone. You saw through our game, so the only reason you showed up on Friday was because you want the seat at our table. It's yours to take, but there's always a price to pay."

"And if I don't want to pay it?"

"There are consequences for that as well," Veronica responded. She tilted her head, "but you don't do well with people telling you what to do, do you?"

Logan smirked and laughed lightly, "No, I do not. What can I say? I'm a _rebel_."

"This is a place where everyone does as they please if they have the money and status to back them up. It's not very often that anyone's wants come in direct conflict with each other, but when they do, things happen and this place can turn into a disaster zone," Veronica had seen it come to that a few times when some of the girls thought they could contest Lilly for power. It hadn't turned out for them and others had learned a lesson. "Sometimes it's better to just fall in line."

"I think we're going to be great friends," Logan said. "You and me, and your brother and sister too. I think we'll find common ground fairly easily."

"If you say so," Veronica responded.

"I do," Logan nodded, "but falling in line is something I just don't do. So for this to work out for everyone, we may have to come to some other arrangement."

"I don't think I'm the one to talk to that about."

"You might just be exactly that person, Veronica."

Veronica could help the small smile, "I guess we'll just have to see what happens."

The bell rang to end the period for lunch, so Veronica packed up her things and went to collect the assignment sheet the teacher was handing out. She slipped out of the classroom into the hall quickly, before Logan could catch up, and came face to face with Lilly waiting by the door to the classroom. Lilly linked her arm with Veronica's and guided her around the corner toward the closest building exit to the main lunch area.

"How has your day been so far, Vee?" Lilly asked sweetly, smiling at Veronica.

"Pretty good," Veronica answered, "and y ours?"

"Absolutely splendid," Lilly said, "I've been _planning_."

"For our pep squad meeting, right? We're supposed to meet with the other girls right now, aren't we?"

"Oh that? No, I told them I needed to push that back a couple days. We'll see to all that business later," Lilly shook her head and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "I've been planning our next move on the Logan front. Today, we'll offer him a place at our table. It'll officially claim him for the Kanes."

"And if he refuses?"

"Who would refuse us?" Lilly scoffed. "I know we cycle some of the other 09ers in and out of our main circle. We could do the same with Logan, or he can take a permanent place. If I leave it up to him, I don't think I would even need to offer the simplest _persuasion _for him to see what the right choice is."

Veronica sighed, "There is such a thing as _free will_."

"Free will isn't free in Neptune," Lilly said. She stopped at the end of the hall before the door out and pulled Veronica to a stop as well. Veronica met her sister's eyes as Lilly added, "I've been thinking and I think that Logan and I would make a good match. Don't you agree?"

Lilly looked down at Veronica pointedly. Veronica didn't have to dig very deep into the subtext to figure out what Lilly was trying to say. Lilly had noticed the way Logan had taken more of an interest in Veronica than her, and she wanted Veronica to confirm that she would back off. Veronica wasn't sure if Lilly really liked Logan or if it was just a power play, but in the end it didn't matter. She would let Lilly do as she pleased—if she could get Logan, then so be it. If Logan decided on a different direction, as he seemed to claim he would, then Veronica would see how it played out then. Until that happened, Veronica was a Kane and Kanes stood with their own.

"Lilly Kane and Logan Echolls," Veronica said. "It has a sort of ring to it."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I'll skip the excuses about my last semester of college and working on my original writing getting in the way of working on any fanfiction (though they are true) and just say (after 6 months? 7?), here's chapter five. It's a Logan chapter. Enjoy, R&R! Thanks! -Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Veronica Mars.

**Five**

Logan was perplexed by the conversation with Veronica. Her body language and her behavior the previous Friday spoke to her interest-or at least an innocent curiosity-in him, yet now she was backing down and claiming it was Lilly he should be interested in. Clearly, Lilly was the one pulling the strings of the operation. That was one thing the older blonde had going for her: the loyalty of her younger siblings. So Lilly Kane was beautiful, overtly sexual and the head hancho of The Three Kanes. These things were easily figured out, easily observed, and therefore, seemed to leave Lilly with little depth. Perhaps, she had the capacity to still surprise him, but he couldn't be sure. Vderonica, on the other hand, was going to surprise him at every turn, he could already tell.

Veronica had the look of an innocent follower. She was beautiful, but she down played her beauty and let herself be sheadowed by her older sister. She played the loyal subject-acting only in the best interest of the whole, rather than for herself as an individual. She could have anything she wanted, but she was thoughtful enough to question why. She was rich and beautiful, but too mondest to flaunt it. She gravitated toward the background, but she had the potential to take the lead. Logan believed that if Veronica wanted she could, and _would_, take the spotlight from her sister.

Yet, family was family and there were very few reasons why Veronica might want to go up against Lilly. The whole thing made Logan happy that he was pretty much an only child with Trina out of the house already. It made being selfish a lot easier, avoiding any pesky guilty feelings when treading over one's siblings in the name of personal interest.

Logan had hoped to continue the conversation with Veronica, but she had run off so quickly after class that he missed his chance. By the time he got out of the classroom, she was already being dragged off by Lilly. He would have to wait to talk to her alone again. So instead of tracking down Veronica, he caught up with Dick and Beaver and he figured he'd see Veronica out at the 09er lunch area when she got there, if she wasn't there already. Sure enough, when he got out to the lunch area all three Kanes were together at their usual table at the head of the area the 09ers claimed as their own. Logan was leading the way to the next table over, when Duncan waved him over.

"Hey, Logan. Come sit with us today," Duncan said.

Logan glanced at Dick and Dick clapped him on the back, "Go on. Your place of honor awaits."

"We still on for surfing later?" Logan asked.

"Only if you don't get a better offer," Dick smirked and pounded Logan's outstretched fist.

"So it begins," Logan murmured to himself under his breath and turned toward the Kanes' table.

Lilly was smirking when Logan arrived at the table, "Please sit, Logan. We saved a space special just for you."

"Uh, thanks," Logan said and sat down next to Duncan. Lilly was across from him and Veronica was next to her. When Logan looked over at Veronica, she met his eyes for only a split second. There were a few other 09ers situated around them, sitting on the edge of a planter wall but not at the actual table, "Hello everyone."

"You all remember Logan Echolls from Shelley's party or our place on Friday. Or from class if you weren't at either of those," Lilly said. "His father makes twenty million a movie and even has his own action figure, isn't that right, Logan?"

Logan laughed lightly, "Yeah, dear old Dad is very proud of his achievements."

"We're glad to have you in Neptune, Logan," Lilly smiled.

"Are you just saying that so I'll actually get the autograph from my Dad that I promised before?" Logan raised an eyebrow.

"I was hoping I could get to meet him, actually," Lilly answered. "Maybe you should invite me over to your place."

"Subtle, Lilly," Duncan snickered. He began to pass out the containers of Chinese stacked up in front of him. "Lunch is on us, by the way. I ordered a little bit of everything."

"Much appreciated," Logan took the first box Duncan offered him and popped it open. As he began to eat, he looked to Veronica again, "So Veronica, I'm going to warn you in advance in case our teacher decides to pair us up again: the likelihood of me reading that book is very slim. I may need some coaching through tonight's assignment."

"I-" Veronica started, glancing toward Lilly. "If you'd like. I'm always happy to help a _friend_ in need."

Logan smiled, "Well, I have your number. Maybe I'll call you tonight."

The look Veronica leveled at him told him that she knew what he was doing and didn't like it. Logan wanted to gauge Lilly's reaction to his heightened interest in Veronica. If Veronica was right, Lilly would do whatever it took to draw his attention to her instead. He had to see it for himself so he could judge what he was up against. He had to in order to plan accordingly. Otherwise, he wouldn't do something that could deliberately get Veronica in trouble with her sister.

"Why don't you just come over tonight? We're all going to be relaxing by the pool. Veronica can help you with your little assignment, and then you can take a dip," Lilly suggested. "You can be the first to see my new bikini."

Out of the corner of his eye, Logan could see Veronica roll her eyes and turn her attention to the box of noodles in front of her. Logan nodded, "Alright, I could do that."

"Great," Lilly smiled. She turned her attention to one of the girls sitting near her.

"So I guess you're cancelling surfing with Dick," Duncan said, switching his container for the one in Logan's hands.

"I got a better offer," Logan shrugged and kept his eyes on Veronica.

Duncan laughed, "Hope you know what you're doing."

"I can honestly say," Logan said, "I have no clue."

"When it comes to my sister, I rarely do either," Duncan shook his head.

Logan noticed the singular usage and looked at Duncan for some hint about which one he meant. Duncan could have meant Lilly because she called all the shots and he too was angling Logan toward her. Duncan also could have seen the looks Logan was sending Veronica and was referencing her and the mystery she seemed to be. By the time Logan tried to look for a hint, Duncan had already started to talk to another person near the table and gave Logan no help.

Logan had played all the different games of manipulation and deception more than once to get what he wanted. There was just one thing he needed to figure out about the Kanes before he got too caught up in the game. To win, one needed to know and understand his opponent, strengths and weaknesses. He had more to learn about the three Kanes, starting with which mattered more to each of them: the goals of the whole, or the wants of the individual. Knowing whether they were more loyal to each other or to themselves would help him decide how to go about getting what he wanted out of Neptune. He had a feeling already that Veronica was loyal to her family over her own desires, while Lilly was the opposite. He wasn't sure how Duncan fit in yet. He needed a chance to gather more information and an afternoon by the Kanes' pool would be the perfect opportunity. He could go surfing with Dick anytime.

Veroncia still wouldn't look up from her noodles. She seemed to be keeping her head down to avoid making eye contact with Logan. he hoped the behavior was on Lilly's orders and not due to something outside of his power to change.

"So, Logan," Lilly had turned her attention to him again. "Homecoming is coming up. What do you think of school sanctioned events?"

"Dances are not really my thing," Logan responded, stabbing at the pieces of pork in the container that was now in front of him.

"Homecoming is really just an excuse to have a limo party," Lilly said. "Plus, our father and Lianne offered to let us host an after party. They like to do their part by leaving the house empty on a regular basis."

"Sounds intriguing," Logan replied. "Parties _are_ my kind of thing, if I have the right company."

"Everything does depend on having the right date," Lilly smirked.

"Lilly and I already have dates for Homecoming," Duncan piped up suddenly, "I'm taking Meg Manning and Lilly is-"

Lilly shot her brother a glare and he went back to the fried rice in front of him, "I do not have a date. I have standing offers, many of them."

"What about you Veronica?" Logan glanced over at her. "Do you have a Homecoming date or any _standing offers_?"

Veronica's head shot up and her mouth opened and closed. Then she ducked her head again, "No."

"That's too bad," Logan said.

"Veronica can be shy when it comes to guys," Lilly lowered her voice as if sharing a secret. "She'll scrounge up a date by the time the dance comes around and if she doesn't, I'll find her one. Won't I, Veronica?"

Veronica shifted out from under the arm Lilly threw over her shoulders, "I do just fine for myself, thank you very much, Lilly."

Lilly laughed it off, "Oh come on, don't get defensive. There's nothing wrong with being shy. I certainly don't _why_ you are, though, when you're popular and beautiful. You should be outgoing and flaunt it like me."

"I think one of you is enough for everyone without me being a Lilly clone," Veronica shot back. "How's that for outgoing?"

Lilly smiled, "Fiesty, I like it. I _am_ one of a kind. That's true."

Duncan snorted, "Can't argue with that."

"Anyway, Veronica and I are both holding out for better offers. Duncan is taking Meg," Lilly lowered her voice to mock secret mode again, "He has a _crush_ on her."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Duncan raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think so, but I'm sure Shelley would disagree," Lilly said. "She wanted you to ask her."

Logan watched as the two bickered. He tried to suppress the amused smile and continued to pick through the sweet and sour pork. When he looked back up, Veronica was watching him. He met her gaze and she offered him a small smile. She held up the container of noodles and tilted it toward him in offering. Logan smiled back and pushed his own container toward her. Without a word, they switched and then went back to pretending they had no interest in each other.

"Meg is a sweet girl," Duncan said.

"Yes, she is," Lilly nodded. "All pure and innocent like a good little virgin. It's why she and Veronica are such good friends."

"Lilly!" Veronica exclaimed.

"What?" Lilly's eyes widened and she put up her hands. "It's true. No shame in that."

Veronica put a hand over her face, "Doesn't mean you need to go and advertise it all over the school yard."

"Logan, will you tell her there's nothing wrong with being-" Lilly started, but Veronica thrust her hand over Lilly's mouth and muffled the end of the sentence.

"Don't say a word," Veronica pointed at Logan.

Logan put up his hands but kept his mouth closed. He wasn't sure he had any words to articulate after learning that little tidbit. It was clear that a few hours out at the Kanes' pool and he would know everything he wanted about them. He had been right about Veronica. There were surprises in store all along the road. Now he just had to figure out how invested Lilly was in keeping her sister in the background.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Lilly chapter. Welcome to the Kane pool. Enjoy! R&R! Thanks! -Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own.

**Six**

"You're really going all out on this Logan thing," Duncan said as he laid back on Lilly's bed.

Lilly was going through her closet, trying to pick out the perfect cover up to go with the new bikini she already had on. She discarded a few nos, tossing them to the ground at her feet, shifting a few articles of clothing aside, she pulled out a couple more choices from the back of the closet. She holds up three cover up still on the hangers.

"What do you think? Colorful tunic, crochet dress, lace romper?" Lilly asked, lifting each for emphasis, and ignored her brother's previous comment.

"Shouldn't you let Veronica dispense the fashion advice?"

"Veronica is getting herself ready," Lilly rolled her eyes. "And you're here, so _thoughts_?"

"I don't know, Lilly," Duncan said. "It's not exactly my area of expertise."

"You're useless," Lilly groaned, "If you're not going to help, you can just go."

"Come on Lilly, you know you're just going to pick the most revealing of the three anyway, so don't pretend my opinion matters," Duncan replied. "I just don't get why this Logan thing is such a big deal, he doesn't seem interested."

"That's the point, Donut," Lilly said. "I have to go all out to get him interested."

"But is it really worth it?" Duncan sat up and swung his legs over the bed so he sat on the edge. "He seems to like Veronica."

"Veronica doesn't reciprocate," Lilly said, a scowl setting in on her face. "When he figures that out, I want him to know that I am a very good, if not better alternative."

"Are you sure she—"

"Logan is not her type, I promise you," Lilly cut him off. "I know our sister and I've done my research on Logan. Veronica likes boys who are safe. They may be boring, but Vee likes to keep the potential for heartbreak at a minimum. She wouldn't go for a guy like Logan."

"Research, huh?" Duncan raised an eyebrow.

"it's called the internet, Donut," Lilly said. "His father is a famous Hollywood actor, therefore everything Logan does reflects back on his parents. Everything about him is thus recorded online for the masses, as positive or negative as it may be. From what I can see, if it's illicit, offensive or sordid, he's done it, probably twice for good measure."

"He doesn't seem so bad."

"He's not," Lilly shook her head. "His laundry is no dirtier than the average 09er, but as you know Veronica doesn't exactly go for any of the guys in our social circle, despite my consistent encouragement. She wants a 'good' guy and they are as rare as faithful spouses in our zip code."

"You're saying she won't be a problem for you on your path toward acquiring Logan," Duncan said.

"Basically," Lilly nodded. She turned her attention to her cover ups again and made a decision. She put back the two she had decided against. She pulled the third off the hanger and slipped it on over her head. She straightened it out once it was on and posed for Duncan. "What do you think?"

"I think you should find out if Veronica is backing off because she wants to, or because you're her sister and she doesn't want to get in your way," Duncan replied.

"That is not the question I asked," Lilly's hands found her hips, "and is there really a difference?"

"Yes, Lilly, there is a difference," Duncan said.

"Fine, I'll ask her, if it'll make you feel better," Lilly heaved a sigh, "but I doubt it'll change anything."

"Okay, go on and ask her," Duncan gestured toward the door.

"I'll ask her, but it's going to have to wait until tomorrow," Lilly said. "Logan will be here soon."

"All the more reason to get it over with before he gets here."

Lilly's next excuse was interrupted by the sound of her doorbell. She smiled, "Too late."

Lilly swept out of her room and headed for the front door. She made it to the door first, so she pulled it open. Logan stood in the doorway. In trunks and t-shirt with a towel over one shoulder, Logan he was ready for the pool already. Lilly smiled as she leaned against the open door. She was fully prepared to pull out all the stops, but she figured that once Logan was convinced Veronica was a no-go, she could claim him quite easily. Lilly knew how to flaunt her attractiveness in a way that Veronica seldom chose to do. If Lilly was to believe what she read online—and it had to hold some truth given that so many different sources reported generally the same thing—Logan liked his women sexy, flexible and scantily clad. If that was what he wanted, Lilly could certainly give it to him—and she means _really_ give it to him in a way Veronica had refused to give it to anyone. Whatever Logan saw in her sister, Lilly knew he would have needs that Veronica couldn't even imagine without blushing, let alone satisfy. It was simple really, and hardly the full extent of her plan, but as an advantage it could almost be enough to get the job done. With Logan as the audience, Lilly had no problem with showing off her assets.

"Good afternoon, Logan," Lilly said, "Come on in."

"Thanks," Logan nodded to her as she stepped inside. He greeted Duncan as he passed, "Hey, man."

"Logan," Duncan replied. "Glad you came to join us. I always feel out numbered when it's just me and the girls."

"Hopefully, we'll be seeing a lot more of Mr. Echolls," Lilly said as she closed the front door. "So you won't have to worry about that as much."

"Yeah, I need someone to help balance out the estrogen that surrounds me," Duncan agreed.

"I'm happy to help," Logan glanced around, "Speaking of estrogen dominance isn't there another little blonde that's supposed to be here?"

"Veronica's still changing," Lilly said. "She'll join us out at the pool when she's ready."

Duncan nodded, "It's right out this way. You remember the way from Friday, don't you, buddy?"

As she slid past to lead the way, Lilly stroked her fingers down Logan's arm, "Are you thirsty? I could get you something to drink on the way out, perhaps something with a little kick?"

"No thanks," Logan shifted out of her reach and continued to follow Duncan toward the pool. "I want to keep a clear head if I'm going to be getting help on that assignment from Veronica."

"Of course," Lilly forced a smile that slipped as soon as Logan turned his back to her.

Lilly followed the boys out to the pool. She felt a strong urge to get herself a drink, despite her guest declining one, but she certainly wasn't going to get drunk when Logan was staying sober. She knew her drunk self intimately and although she was a touchy-feely drunk, that kind of unabashed behavior was really only attractive if the recipient also had a decent buzz going. And she also didn't want to open the door for Duncan to drink, because that would be an entirely different problem altogether. So unfortunately she would have to squash that urge and carry on with the day.

Duncan had pulled a few of the lounge chairs closer to the pool earlier, before joining Lilly in her room and he dropped his now stripped off t-shirt on the one with his towel draped over it. Logan removed his own shirt and discarded it and his other things on the empty chair. The two boys shared a look that must have conveyed more than Lilly could decipher because the next minute they were racing each other to jump in the pool. Lilly watched them come back up to the surface from the edge of the pool. Logan broke the surface first and his hands came up to wipe away the excessive water from his face. For a moment, Lilly couldn't help but admire Logan's chest as rivulets of water traveled from his shoulders down to his very defined abs. Lilly smiled to herself. At the very least, her efforts would be well worth it once she could she could call Logan Echolls her own.

"Lilly," Duncan said as he propped himself up at the edge by her feet. "You coming in or what?"

"Give a girl a minute, won't you?"

Lilly waited until Logan's eyes had lifted to look at her before she began to take off her carefully chosen coverup. Once his attention was on her, she reached for the hem of the dress and began to pull it upward at an agonizingly slow pace. She shimmied her hips to get the bunching fabric over them. She kept the slow dragging pace until she revealed her cleavage barely covered by her skimpy bikini and then completed the motion by tossing the cover up on her own chair. There was a flare of smugness when Lilly looked down and found that Logan's eyes were still glued to her body, but it passed. Of course he was looking—after all he was an average, red blooded, teenage boy.

Lilly posed dramatically, "What do you think of my new suit?"

"I think it was meant to swim in," Duncan said, splashing some water up at her.

"Duncan!" Lilly exclaimed, backing away as the water hit her. "I wasn't asking you."

"Echolls, the lady requests your opinion," Duncan said, glancing back at Logan before pushing off from the side and drinking back under the water.

Logan smirked, "Looks good on you Lilly, though I'm pretty sure you could make anything work."

Lilly smiled, "Why thank you Logan. After years of rubbing elbows with all the beautiful people in Hollywood, you must know your stuff. I'll take that as high praise."

Duncan snorted from where he had reemerged in the shallow end of the pool, but Lilly ignored him. He climbed the steps out unnoticed.

She continued, "So Logan, how do the lovely citizens of Neptune measure up to your old scene?"

"Some better than others," Logan answered.

"And just who might you be referring to?" Lilly raised an eyebrow as she angled for another compliment.

"Enough talking, just get in the pool!" Duncan said as he appeared next to Lilly and scooped her up. He used the momentum to dump both of them into the deep end.

Lilly sputtered as she broke the surface. She was about to reprimand Duncan when an arm went around her waist to drag her to a section of the pool when her feet reached the bottom. She wiped the water from her eyes and blinked Logan into focus. He was grinning and appeared to be holding back a laugh. While she would have liked to scold him for that as well, he was still in her personal space and his hand was still on her waist. Far be it from her to miss out on an opportunity to use Duncan's antics to her advantage.

"It appears the suit holds up in water," Logan said.

"Too bad the same can't be said for your hair," Duncan laughed.

Lilly glared at him but did nothing else. He was smart enough to keep an adequate distance for the time being.

"Don't worry about your hair," Logan said. "Perfection is an impossible standard. You girls try too hard. I happen to find it sexy when a girl looks a little undone."

"I'll keep that in mind," Lilly murmured.

Logan pulled away and removed his hand as he went. He backed away a few steps to tread water as he shifted into the deeper end. Despite the creation of distance between them, Logan kept his eyes exclusively on Lilly and she claimed that as a victory. He had seemed responsive to her little mock strip show. If that was all it took, her sexuality could be the key to stealing his attention away from her pure as the driven snow sister. Her assumption had been proven correct. The boy had desires—the boy had _needs—_and Lilly would gladly fulfill all of them. It would be an enjoyable perk on top of the already substantial benefits their union as a power couple would provide. She just had to seal the deal.

Lilly began to swim after Logan—liking the idea of the chase and the considerable rewards that awaited her—but the sound of the door to the house opening and closing stopped her in her tracks. She wasn't the only one whose attention was stolen. Suddenly, Lilly, dripping wet and in a swimsuit that consisted of less fabric than a wash cloth was no match for the image of her younger sister standing over the edge of the pool in a very modest two piece. A light came over Logan's features and a grin formed instantly as he took her in. There was no interrupting his gaze from her direction. Lilly frowned for a second then forced the expression off her face.

So perhaps, this infatuation with Veronica was going to be harder to eradicate than Lilly originally thought.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Here's chapter seven. I mapped out the rest of the chapters to come, so keep a look out for periodic updates. Enjoy! R&R! Thanks! -Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own VMars.

**Seven**

Veronica could admit it that she had been hiding. She had known when Logan was on his way over after stopping at home to change, because he had texted _her_ to let her know. Instead of being ready to greet him at the door, she had stayed locked in her room until she was sure Lilly had a significant span of time with Logan to herself. Veronica could reenact Lilly's poolside routine complete with seemingly casual yet totally deliberate coverup strip tease. She gave her sister an adequate amount of time to perform her routine before emerging from her room. A peek out at the pool gave Veronica a view of Lilly some what wrapped in Logan's arms and she took that as a good sign. The quicker Lilly hooked him in, the easier it would be on everyone. Since Lilly was on a good track, Veronica felt it was as good a time as any to reveal herself.

Veronica knew she had made a mistake the second she walked out the door. Logan's head had immediately snapped up to look at her, a grin rapidly forming to light up his features. For a brief moment, Veronica felt a surge of pride. Even as one of the most popular students at Neptune High, she had never inspired such a reaction from a member of the opposite sex. She was too worried about Lilly's reaction to what had transpired to linger on those thoughts though. To her credit, Lilly's frown lasted a fraction of a second before she pulled it together.

"There you are, Veronica," Duncan called out from the other end of the pool. "Are you coming in or should I give you the Lilly treatment?"

"I can get in just fine by myself, thank you, Duncan," Veronica said.

"Come on in then," Logan smiled. "The water's nice."

"It sure is," Lilly agreed. "Join us, sister."

Veronica slipped off her flip flops by the last unclaimed chair and then walked over to the steps leading down into the shallow end of the pool. She dipped her toes in to test the water before wading in until the water reached her waist. She was about to move over to where Lilly and Logan were standing but Lilly dunked under the water and swam across the pool to one of the floats drifting in the deep end. Veronica halted a safe distance from Logan and watched as Lilly climbed onto the raft.

"Veronica, entertain our guest while I get a little sun," Lilly said.

Veronica looked to Logan, "Are you enjoying your swim?"

"It's always more fun to have company," Logan answered.

"So you're having a better time than you would have if you went surfing with dick?" Veronica raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, Duncan told me you skipped out on them for an invigorating study session poolside."

"What can I say? I have my priorities in order," Logan chuckled.

"Don't believe him, Vee," Duncan piped up as he waded over to them. "His motives are hardly innocent."

"Is that so?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah," Duncan nodded. He threw an arm around Logan's shoulders. "He's obviously using any excuse he can to get close to me."

Logan rolled his eyes and twisted around to forcibly dunk Duncan's head under the water. Veronica couldn't help but laugh. Duncan sputtered as he broke back through the water. Logan met Veronica's eyes and laughed along with her. Duncan pushed his wet hair back and promptly started to splash Logan and Veronica both for laughing. Veronica shielded herself from the onslaught of water and shrieked as cold water hit her still dry skin. She lifted her arms to block her face and as she turned away she caught a glimpse of Lilly watching them. Veronica was aware that she was being supervised and it was a reminder to keep the conversation steered in a safe direction. She just hoped Logan would be smart enough not to test the boundaries like he had at lunch.

"Real mature, Duncan," Veronica said.

"If you can't take the heat, get out of the water," Duncan laughed and set another wave of water toward Veronica.

"The last time I did that, you threw me back in," Veronica replied.

"I never said I was gonna fight fair," Duncan waggled his eyebrows and aimed the next splash at Logan.

Logan shifted closer to Veronica and leaned down slightly to say quietly to her, "I think our only choice is to retaliate. On the next lull, cover me. I'm going in."

Veronica laughed at Logan's faux seriousness, but was ready the next time Duncan paused in his onslaught. In the break, Veronica splashed back as much as she could and Duncan put his hands up to block his face. Using her action as a distraction, Logan dived at Duncan, catching him around the middle and dragging them both underwater. While the two wrestled under the surface for a moment, Veronica met Lilly's eyes across the pool.

Lilly shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Boys."

Veronica smiled, "They will be boys."

Logan and Duncan came back up, laughing and dripping, a second later. Logan clasped Duncan's shoulder. "That will teach you to mess with Logan Echolls."

"Careful," Duncan warned with a smile. "Don't make me school you in front of my sisters."

Logan chuckled and wiggled his fingers at Duncan in 'come at me' gesture. "Give me your best shot."

"Alright, break it up," Veronica moved between them. "If anyone is going to be kicking butts and taking names in this pool, it's going to be me. So reel it in boys before I have to demonstrate what my fists of fury can do."

"Veronica," Lilly called out, interrupting whatever quips were about to leave Duncan and Logan's lips. "This sun is frying my eyes, do you remember where I left my sunglasses?"

"They were in the console of Duncan's car, last I saw," Veronica answered.

Lilly slid off the raft and swam across to the shallow end. She took the steps out of the pool slowly, making sure the twist of her hips caught Logan's attention. A glance to her right showed Veronica that the attempt had proved successful. Logan's gaze was glued to Lilly's _assets_.

"I'll be back," Lilly said as she wrapped her towel around her waist. "Don't do anything too devious while I'm gone."

"As if the five minutes it's going to take for you to walk to the car and back is long enough for us to do anything devious in your absence," Veronica rolled her eyes.

Lilly smirked, "Oh, Veronica, if you genuinely believe that, you have a lot to learn."

With her final words, Lilly turned on her heel and disappeared into the house. While her sister was out of sight, Veronica had a feeling Lilly would still be watching. Lilly was likely trying to test Veronica to see what would happen when her back was turned. Or she could just be retrieving her sunglasses with no ulterior motive at all. It helped to always be suspicious when it came to Lilly and Veronica had always preferred to be safe rather than sorry.

"So I'm going to do some laps if you two don't mind. Got to get my exercise in somehow," Duncan said and patted his flat stomach. "I'm watching my figure."

"You do that," Veronica replied.

Once Duncan was off, making his way to the other end of the pool underwater, Logan moved back toward Veronica. In order to not be too suspicious, Veronica resisted the urge to move backwards to retain the distance between them. As a result of her standing her ground, Logan was able to shift into her personal space.

"Lilly was right you know," Logan whispered as he ran a hand across her lower back under the water. "Five minutes is more than enough time to get into a little mischief."

Even though the touch sent a chill down her spine, Veronica stepped out of his reach. "Don't, Lilly could see and Duncan is right over there."

"Does it really matter?" Logan raised an eyebrow.

"It matters to me," Veronica said.

"So you'd rather have a little privacy, I can get down with that," Logan smirked.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Veronica said. "I told you how this was going to go. I'm not...I'm not interested. So you can save your advances for someone who wants them, like—"

"Like Lilly, yeah, I get it," Logan shook his head. "I don't believe you by the way."

"About Lilly? Come on, you can't be—"

"Not about Lilly," Logan corrected, "About you. Where I'm from you can rarely trust what people say at face value. You have to learn to read them in other ways if you want to know the truth. You must be interested, otherwise you wouldn't have to try so hard to convince me that you're not."

Veronica pursed her lips, "i consider myself a pretty straight forward kind of girl. I tend to call it like I see it."

"I can believe that you do in most situations," Logan said, "but for the last few days, all I've been hearing is you calling it the way Lilly sees it."

"I—" Veronica started.

Logan raised a finger to his lips and then pointed the finger over Veronica's shoulder, "Your sister is at the back door. You wouldn't want her to hear anything suspicious."

"We'll talk later," Veronica said, though she knew they really shouldn't continue the conversation ever.

"That we will."

Veronica turned and dipped under the water to start swimming toward the deep end and away from Logan. She surfaced at the far edge of the pool. Duncan came up from another lap next to her.

"So, what were you and Logan talking about?" Duncan asked.

"Lilly," Veronica answered. She glanced at the other end of the pool where Lilly was entering the pool, now with her sunglasses in place, and approaching Logan. "What else?"

Duncan raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Veronica responded. "We were."

"Okay," Duncan said. "So, you're alright with Lilly pursuing Logan?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Duncan shrugged, the motion causing ripples in the water. "Just a feeling."

"Lilly can do what she wants with Logan. Who am I to stop her?" Veronica said.

"Her sister," Duncan replied matter-of-factly. "If you can't be honest with your family, you'll be putting up a front to everyone."

"Honestly Duncan, Logan is all Lilly's if she wants him. I stake no claims, I call no dibs, I want no part in all this," Veronica said. "I don't know why anyone would think I have an interest in Logan Echolls."

"Because you're allowed to, but I had to ask," Duncan responded. "Lilly promised she would check in with you, but I knew she wouldn't. You know how she is. The best way to have no opposition is to never ask for a potential opponent's stance on the matter."

"Yeah," Veronica nodded. "I've had enough of the pool for the day, I'm going to go inside and finish up my homework for the night."

"Really? Even with what they say about all work and no play?" Duncan asked.

"It makes Veronica a front runner for Valedictorian?" Veronica joked. "You know me, I'm all about balance. I'll get all my playing in when I've been accepted to all the Ivys."

Veronica pushed off from the edge and swam to the edge of the pool where there was an outcrop for her to climb out at. She was retrieving her towel and flip flops from her chair when Lilly called out to her.

"Going in so soon? You've barely had enough time to help entertain Logan."

"I'm sure you can entertain him enough for the both of us," Veronica replied without looking back at the pool. "I'll be inside doing un-entertaining stuff like homework and studying if you need me."

Veronica dried off the best she could as she crossed through the house. She had left her backpack and other school stuff in the living room so it would be ready for her to work on when she was done with her swim. She laid out her towel on the floor by the coffee table for her to sit on. She had also left a loose knit sweater draped over the arm of the couch and she took a moment to pull it on over her partially damp suit before settling in. She took out her book fro English and the assignment sheet. Reading over the assignment for the first time, Veronica concluded that Logan could easily complete the assignment without her help even if he didn't read the book. The assignment consisted of a few recall questions designed to test if the students had done the reading, but they were generic enough that they could easily be found in the abbreviated cliff notes or on a quick browse on a search engine. The second portion was a short answer essay that basically asked for each student's summary and opinion of the first half of the book due at the end of the week. Neither portion would require too much input from Veronica, though she already knew Logan's request for help and his subsequent invitation over by Lilly were both ploys. Now, she just wondered which of the two was running the show.

"Working hard?"

Veronica looked up to find Logan standing over her. He had changed back into his shirt and he had his towel around his waist. Veronica looked back down at her papers, "More like hardly working. Done with your swim so soon, Logan?"

"Well, the whole reason I'm here is because I asked you for help. I figured I should join you," Logan said. He put down his towel and sat down next to Veronica. She tensed at the proximity and inched away. "Don't worry. Lilly is still getting her tanning done. She won't be in for awhile. I think her exact words were, 'I get bored enough doing my own work, I can't be bothered to watch other people do theirs.'"

"Sounds like Lilly," Veronica said. "I wouldn't put it past her to check up on us though."

"She shouldn't be worried," Logan responded. "You're obedient to a fault. You wouldn't make the mistake of doing something forbidden behind her back."

"Don't stop, tell me how you really feel," Veronica scoffed and tilted her head to look at Logan.

"I just don't get it. You're a smart, independent, beautiful girl and you're a Kane as much as Lilly is," Logan said and Veronica fought a rising blush. "You can have anything you want. Why do you let your sister walk all over you?"

"I don't," Veronica said. When Logan shook his head, she repeated, "I _don't_. It's my choice. I made the decision to let her have what she wants and I made that decision because Lilly and I have different priorities. She would never let it go if I took something she wanted, but I can live without those things if it means my sister is not going to embark on a vendetta against me. She needs the superficial things that keep her the center of attention and it's easier for me to just do without them."

"You care a lot about what your sister wants, but who is looking after what you want?" Logan asked.

"No one," Veronica said, "and I'm just fine with that."

"You could take everything from her if you wanted," Logan said. "You know that, right?"

"But I don't want to and that's why my family isn't faced with civil war," Veronica replied. "Can you understand?"

"Oh, I understand," Logan nodded.

"Good," Veronica said. "So you'll stop whatever it is you're trying to do when it comes to me?"

"No," Logan answered. "You might be willing to give up what you want for Lilly's sake, but I'm not."

"You see where the problem is with that, don't you?"

"Yeah, the problem is that I would like to see where this could go, but I can't do that if the other party is unresponsive."

Veronica nodded, "Exactly."

"So start being responsive," Logan smiled.

"I can't do that."

"Sure you can."

"Didn't you hear anything I've said?"

"I heard it, but it's bullshit, Veronica," Logan breathed a laugh. "You deserve to get what you want too. Lilly might hold a grudge, but it doesn't change the fact that you deserve to come out on top sometimes."

"Logan," Veronica turned toward him. "I would never choose a guy over my sister."

"So that makes it okay for you to _let_ your sister choose a guy over you?" Logan asked.

"What do you want from me Logan?" Veronica sighed. She had to ignore what Logan said, because if she dwelled on it too long she would realize how right he was.

"I want you to stop pushing me toward Lilly," Logan said. "If you genuinely aren't interested in me, okay. If you are dead set on nothing happening between us, okay. But just because I can't have you, does not mean I want Lilly."

"Are you trying to say there's nothing that could persuade you to be with Lilly?"

"At the moment, I'm kind of preoccupied with trying to convince this other girl to be open to the possibilities available to her, so no there's nothing that could persuade me to change my mind about what I want," Logan looked Veronica right in the eyes as he said it. "I just wish that other girl was open to seeing what could happen."

Veronica closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Although it was probably the stupidest thing she could have ever done, she said, "Maybe, maybe she is open to that, but she needs time to sort some things out."

Logan smiled, "Well, if that's the case, if there's one thing I have it's time."

"You have to back off for awhile. Lilly has to give up on her own, before I could do anything. Until then—" Veronica broke off.

"—we're just two friends getting to know each other," Logan finished. "Starting with, you helping me with this assignment."

Veronica knew she was probably going to regret giving Logan even an ounce of hope. She wasn't even sure of what she wanted. Logan was fun to hang out with and she couldn't deny that he was attractive, but so were a lot of guys. Maybe she could tell that there was something special about him, but that didn't mean she automatically wanted to jump into something with him. Lilly, at least, knew exactly what she wanted and it was Logan, plain and simple. Despite what Veronica had said, she didn't actually believe Lilly would ever give up and as sure as Logan was of himself, he had never gone up against Lilly. If things kept going the way they were, sooner or later all hell was going to break loose and Veronica didn't like the idea of being the catalyst.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Here's chapter 8. Logan chapter. Thank you to everyone who has posted reviews or given me feedback. I appreciate hearing what you think. Enjoy! R&R! Thanks! -Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own VMars.

**Eight**

Logan couldn't say that the evening at the Kanes had gone exactly to plan, but with Lilly coiled and poised to strike at any given moment can put hitches in the best laid plans. He had not and should have anticipated Lilly using her obvious comfort with sexuality to her advantage, especially after the way she had blatantly flaunted Veronica's inexperience at the lunch break. He had let his guard down and Lilly must have sensed his vulnerability because for a moment she had slipped past his defenses. For a moment, he had forgotten that they were adversaries, that she was practically the only thing standing in his way. For a moment, Lilly was just a sexy girl, in a barely there bikini offering herself up to him on a silver platter. So, he was a guy—he could be forgive his one, minor, hardly worth counting indiscretion. He had remembered himself, he had achieved focus on his task, and he had gotten a vital, if somewhat lacking, concession from Veronica. All in all, he would have to call it a success.

There was still a long road to go on that front Lilly was nothing if not determined to see her way onto his arm, nine possibilities out of ten by way of his bed. As persistent as Lilly might be, Logan was twice as determined to ward her off now that he had hope that Veronica would drop the indifferent attitude and open herself up to the possibilities of being with him. It was a small hope, this he knew. Veronica said all the right words and a part of her must have meant them because, oddly enough, her last name and zip code had not robbed her of the ability to be a decent and honest person. Veronica wouldn't have lied to him but she had set conditions she knew might never be fulfilled. Yet she had allowed him that blip of hope, when she could have dug in her heels and remained dismissive of him forever, so he would grab on to that hope and hold on for all he was worth. There was a long road ahead and the next stop would be his first Echolls Poker Extravaganza.

Logan had invited all of the Kanes to the even. He was throwing his first official 09er party while his parents were out of town for the weekend for some movie premiere or press junket or something. He had stopped listening after "gone for the weekend" and "house to yourself." The party was for everyone, but the poker game was exclusive. Dick had already agreed to toss his cash in, though Logan doubted the elder Casablancas brother had the attention span to keep said cash. Duncan was in and so was another 09er Dick had brought in named Sean. The fifth and final seat was reserved for Veronica if she wanted it, but should she refuse, Beaver was eager to get in on the action. Logan really hoped that Veronica would join them. He wanted to witness first hand the skills Duncan bragged so much about.

At the very least, he hoped that the party and poker game would be the first step in getting Veronica to be comfortable with interacting with him in public without being evasive, defensive, dismissive or some combination there of. If any of her outstanding conditions were to be fulfilled while she was still entertaining the idea of being with him at some point then they needed to be able to be friends, even under Lilly's watchful eyes. He needed to get started on that as soon as possible. He also needed to learn to show some restraint when it came to the younger, petite Kane sister. For awhile he would have to let Lilly believe he had given up on her sister while still managing to keep her close. It was going to be a challenge, but he loved a challenge.

Logan had began to set up the minute his parents had shut the door behind them. From his short time in Neptune, he had found the upper crust required little at their parties as long as the alcohol was available and kept flowing throughout the night. Aaron and Lynn Echolls kept up the farce of not condoning underage drinking and thus kept their liquor locked up tight, but Logan had a key within hours of the cabinets being locked in the first place. It wasn't like they made it that hard in the first place. Traditionally, his parents hadn't cared about his consumption of their private stash as long as he didn't do anything to "embarrass" the family and the bottles reserved for his mother's habit were left untouched. If he followed the unspoken rules, then everyone would have a good time. So Logan pulled out as much as he could get away with and that hearty variety would be supplemental by what Dick promised he would pilfer from his father's stock and whatever anyone else chose to bring on their own. According to Dick, someone had an in to get a couple kegs delivered, but Logan didn't put too much faith in that. Reassured that the booze was in adequate supply, Logan had checked to make sure everything else was in order. The stereo system in the main house was in working order and the poker table was ready and waiting in the pool house. Then all there was to do was wait for people to arrive.

Dick and Beaver were the first to arrive, weighed down by bottles of beer and hard liquor both. After them, people began to trickle in two or three at a time. Soon enough the drinks were flowing, the music was pounding, and the house was full. More than a few people had stood before the wall of Aaron's movie posters and commented as Logan passed by that his father was awesome, a legend or some other cliché and unnecessary compliment. Caitlin had made a last ditch effort to get his attention and he had blown her off. Still, an hour in and he had seen no sign of any of the Kanes. Logan found himself staking out his front door and when he realized he had been standing in the same spot for ten minutes, he forced himself to move on to other location. Even then, his eyes were constantly drawn back to the front door.

Finally, just when Logan sure his eyes were going to bulge out of his head from staring so hard, the door opened and Veronica stepped inside. Logan crossed the room to meet her and tried his hardest not to look too obvious.

"For a minute there, I thought I had been stood up by the Kanes," Logan said once he was right in front of Veronica.

Veronica rolled her eyes, "No, Lilly just likes to make an entrance."

As if to punctuate Veronica's point, Lilly breezed through the door. She ran her fingers across Logan's chest as she passed. "I'm here, now the party can start."

"I apologize. We run on Lilly time in our house," Veronica said. "And Lilly time is like Lilly—"

"—Flighty and unpredictable," Duncan finished as he came through the door last, closing behind him. He too passed by Logan, clapping him on the shoulder as he went.

"What he said," Veronica agreed. "I hope we didn't delay the game."

"Not at all," Logan shook his head. He turned and walked with Veronica after her siblings. "We weren't going to start with two of our players still uncalled for. We'll probably start in a half hour. So, have a drink, maybe dance a little and I'll see you in thirty minutes."

Logan forced himself to walk away from Veronica. _Distance_, he reminded himself. Veronica walked over to join her sister once he left her. Logan crossed the room to create space between them, but he didn't let her out of his sight. He retrieved a chilled beer bottle from a bucket of ice and popped the top. He took a couple gulps as he watched the two Kane girls weigh their options among the bottles of liquor. He had retreated to an isolated corner but the solitude was brief. He soon found himself surrounded by a mix and match set of 09ers. Dick and Beaver had arrived at his side with Sean and Casey.

"You got a thing for one of the Kane girls?" Sean nudged Logan as he followed Logan's line of sight to the two girls. "It's Lilly, isn't it? Not surprised, man. She's sexy as hell. High maintenance, but totally worth the end results."

"As if you would know," Casey shook his head and took a sip off of his beer. "Lilly Kane wouldn't give you the time of day."

"That is because she is intimidated by me, my friend," Sean pointed a finger at Casey.

"What exactly is she intimidated by? Daddy's Rolex or your affection for ghetto brew?" Dick snickered.

"It gets the job done," Sean gulped down half of his bottle and raised it in toast to Dick, "_Quenching_. Besides, it's not like you could do any better with Lilly."

"Dude, at least I know I don't stand a chance," Dick said. "Our pal Logan here might have what it takes to bag our fearless leader, but the rest of us? Wouldn't happen in a million years." Dick smirked, "But a guy can dream right? And I have dreamed. I have this one that features both Lilly and Veronica—if we really wanted a crack at a Kane we should be looking at Ronnie. She's sure to be a little spitfire in the sack."

"Come on, Dick, you shouldn't talk about her like that," Beaver said. "Veronica's nice."

"Veronica is nice, a little too nice if you know what I mean," Sean responded. "Lilly might play hard to get or be a tease sometimes, but at least you know she's going to follow through Veronica's got the shop closed up tight if you—"

"We know what you mean," Casey cut him off.

"I'm just saying," Sean continued. "You might like the whole virgin act for awhile, but it's bound to wear thin when you're running full speed ahead and she puts on the breaks."

Logan was about to break in when Beaver spoke up, "Seriously guys, cut it out. Veronica's a better person than all of us combined."

Dick threw an arm around Beaver's neck, "Yeah guys, cool it. You're upsetting the Beav. He's had a crush on Ronnie since, _ever_."

Beaver shoved him off, "Shut up, Dick."

"Look at him blush," Dick pinched one of Beaver's cheeks and was swatted away. "Still I'm with my baby bro. I'd prefer my Kane pure and simple, because Lilly can be a bitch sometimes. But seriously, if anyone asks, Madison is the best thing that ever happened to me and if I had my way she would be more powerful than the Kanes."

Casey snorted, "Don't let Lilly hear you say that."

"As if you wouldn't say the same to your girlfriend to get her off your back."

"Anyway," Casey turned to Logan, "You haven't said much of anything. Are you going after Lilly?"

Logan had tried his hardest to stay silent during the conversation to avoid answering that exact question or answering in such a way to suggest his interest in the less expected Kane sister. A juicy tidbit like that would spread like wildfire through the chain of 09ers all the way to Lilly. As much as Logan had wanted to shut up the less than appropriate talk about Veronica by any means possible, to do so would have had implications that would prove counterproductive to his current goals. When it became clear that nothing was going to leap in and save him from answering, he cautiously replied.

"She certainly made it obvious that she's interested in me," Logan shrugged. "I don't think I'm looking to attach myself to anyone just yet. I rather enjoy the single life."

"Word," Sean raised his glass to Logan.

"Alright, boys," Logan changed the subject, "I think it's time we got around to the real fun this evening. Whatta you say we gather the other players and play some poker."

Casey wandered off to find his girlfriend and Sean went to retrieve more beer before joining them in the pool house. Dick and Beaver followed Logan over to collect the Kanes. All three Kanes were sitting together with a few others around them. As Logan approached, Lilly's eyes were locked on him. It was in his best interest to ignore it, so he didn't react to her staring or the smirk that formed as he got closer.

"We're gonna get the poker game started in a few minutes," Logan announced once he was in front of them. "Duncan, Veronica if you're in, are you ready?"

Duncan nodded and stood.

Veronica started to stand from her seat next to her sister, but Lilly grabbed her wrist. Lilly raised an eyebrow. "It's a boys game, Veronica. You don't _really _want to get involved, do you?"

"Yeah, Vee," Dick snickered. "We wouldn't want to hurt your feelings when we take all your money."

Veronica pulled free from Lilly. She looked at Lilly as she responded to Dick, "I promise it won't hurt my feelings if you promise not to cry when I take all of yours."

Beaver snorted as he laughed into a fist and Dick glared at him before turning back to Veronica. "You're on Ronnie. We'll see who's the bigger man."

"Was that a crack about my height?" Veronica joked. She finally broke her pointed stare away from Lilly and followed after Dick toward the pool house.

Logan held back to walk with Duncan. "So is Veronica really as good at this game as you've said?"

"You should say goodbye to your money, man," Duncan said, "because you're never going to see it again."

OOO

An hour and a half later and Logan knew from experience that Duncan had not been exaggerating. Early in the game, Dick had made an unsurprisingly ambitious and unsuccessful bluff that lost a substantial portion of his money to Veronica. The rest of his money went to Sean in another hand only to be promptly turned over when Sean lost a hefty pot to Veronica. The rest of Sean's chips were split between Logan and Duncan in a series of hands Veronica folded out of. Both Dick and Sean had stayed around to watch the last two men standing go up against Veronica.

"She's got this unsuspecting act going for her," Dick commented, "but once you drop your guard, she strikes right at your heart."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Dick," Veronica laughed lightly as she tossed a small stack of chips to the center of the table, "Raise."

"Oh it's a compliment, Ronnie," Dick smirked. "It's totally hot that you can hold your own with the big boys."

"She's more than holding her own," Sean said, gesturing toward the table. "Duncan's barely holding on by a thread. Logan has the best shot and it's still a long shot. I gotta give you props, Veronica."

"Thank you, Sean," Veronica said. "it means a lot to me, almost as much as having your money in my pocket at the end of the night is going to mean to me."

Sean rolled his eyes, "Like you need the excess cash, Miss Kane."

"I'll cherish every dollar," Veronica tapped the table, "Duncan, are you in or out? Staring at your cards is not going to change your hand, as hard as you may try."

Duncan's face was scrunched up in concentration as he debated his next move. Logan had already decided to fold, but it was fun to watch Duncan struggle with his choice. The Kane boy had only a small stack of chips left in front of him, and he had protected it thus far into the game by folding more often than not. It was a strategy that would eventually become useless. Logan had a slightly larger chip stack in his possession, but he had already accepted that Veronica would probably end up taking it from him at some point or another. He had wasted all his luck for the night getting Veronica to join the game against Lilly's wishes. He was content with the way the night was going even if it cost him a thousand dollars.

"Screw it," Duncan replied. He pushed the rest of his chips forward. "Don't have a chance any way as Sean has so kindly pointed out. All in."

Veronica matched Duncan's bet and smiled, "Let's see how this goes."

Duncan and Veronica turned over their pair of cards. Neither had anything to much of an advantage, though Duncan did pull the highest card of the four and Veronica's cards were suited. Logan dealt out the flop and Duncan took the advantage as he made a pair. On the turn, Duncan smiled as he was dealt out a three of a kind. While Veronica was set up for a flush, for a moment Duncan thought the odds were in his favor. Logan burned the card before the river and prepared to deal out the final card.

"If that's anything but a heart, Duncan's back in the game," Sean stated as everyone leaned in a little closer.

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Logan said as he flipped over the card, "Bam!"

"Sorry, D," Veronica smirked down at the final card emblazoned with red hearts and began to pull in the chips

Duncan picked up his cards and threw them toward Logan. He shook his head and looked at Veronica, "I know better than to play against you. I should have just given you my money and been done with it."

"Where's the fun in that?" Veronica stacked the chips in neat piles in front of her.

"I guess you're the one that's gonna need the good luck now, Logan," Duncan said as he stood up. "I'm going to head back to the party and see if there's a girl willing to nurse my bruised ego."

"We're coming with you," Sean followed after Duncan with Dick, "I already know how this is going to turn out anyway."

The three left the pool house and a silence set in once it was just Logan and Veronica. Logan had collected all the cards and was shuffling them in preparation for the next hand. A part of him was happy that they had been left alone. He resolved to make the most of it because it was bound to be brief.

"Your friends don't have very much faith in you," Veronica said. "They all assume you're going to lose."

"You could say instead that they have inordinate faith in you," Logan responded, "and I can see why. Your poker skills are impressive. You have to tell me your secret."

"This is where most people would say, 'I would, but then I would have to kill you,'" Veronica said, "but I think I'll tell you anyway."

"Why? Because you want to kill me?" Logan laughed.

"Because I wouldn't be able to either way," Veronica smiled.

"Miss me too much?" Logan wiggled his eyebrows.

"Something like that."

"So, what's the Veronica Kane secret?" Logan said.

"Everyone has a tell. I've known Dick and Sean for years and Duncan is my brother. I can read them like books," Veronica explained. "The only reason you're still in the game is because I'm still trying to pin yours down."

"That statement reeks of overconfidence," Logan said. "How do you know I'm not just good at reading _you_?"

"I have a superb poker face," Veronica responded. "And I think you want me to win."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Veronica nodded. "I think your plan is to go all in on this hand, even if your cards are horrible, so that the game ends prematurely. Then you can utilize the time alone with me while everyone else, my sister included, thinks we're still innocently playing poker."

Logan smiled. It was like she could read his mind. "And what do you have to say if that is my plan?"

Veronica smiled back at him, "Deal the cards, Logan."

Logan began to deal out their cards. "One question, how did you learn to read the people so well? I doubt it was Duncan or your father, because if they knew how to do it they wouldn't always lose against you. Who taught you?"

"If I told you_ that_, I really would have to kill you."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Chapter Nine. Lilly chapter. Enjoy! Please read & review! Thanks! -Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own.

**Nine**

Although tempted, Lilly never tried to interrupt the poker game to play spectator. While Logan appeared to be over his pursuit of Veronica, he hadn't made any moves toward Lilly and that concerned her almost as much as it would have if he was still after Veronica. She wanted to keep an eye on him until he had changed directions completely, but she didn't want to look desperate either. She would be Lilly Kane, with or without Logan Echolls, so she couldn't do anything that looked like she had something hinged on landing him as her boyfriend. Even if, for some reason, she felt she _did_, she couldn't let anyone see that she felt that way. The girls in Neptune were like vultures; they could sense weakness and they would be circling in seconds, ready to pick off whatever they could salvage from her dying reputation. Short of looking like a stalker, she couldn't even peep in on the poker game. It was frustrating.

"Something has you on the brink of tantrum," Madison Sinclair said as she sidled up next to Lilly.

"I am the picture of calm and collected," Lilly replied. "What would make you say such a thing?"

"Something about that look in your eyes," Madison said. "You're in prime take down mode, but I can't think of anything someone has done to deserve it at the moment."

"I am not," Lilly said. She wasn't sure how she felt about Madison inferring such a thing when she had been thinking about Veronica's role in the Logan situation when Madison walked up. "I was just thinking."

"Hmm," Madison pursed her lips. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Logan would it? I've noticed he's taken a bit of a liking to your sister. That can't sit well with you."

"Stop prying," Lilly said firmly. "It's not your place. And, as your friend, I have to tell you: pursing your lips like that is not attractive with your features."

Madison relaxed her mouth for a moment before starting back in, "I'm right, aren't I? Something not going the way Lilly Kane planned; it must mean the end of the world."

"If you were right that I looked like I was in 'prime take down mode,' why would you think _now_ was a good time to antagonize me?" Lilly turned to face Madison fully. Something had to be done; the circling of the vultures was already starting. "Please, continue. I would love to have a reason to exile you to social Siberia. I've just been waiting for you to give me a reason. When I'm done, not even Dick will want to date you."

"I'm sorry," Madison said quickly. Lilly guessed it was one of less than a dozen times those words had left Madison's lips. "Although, you would have to be blind not to see the way he looks at her—though he usually looks when you're not watching."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now," Lilly made a shooing gesture and with a scowl Madison walked away.

Madison liked to think of herself as a big fish, but she was a guppy compared to the Kanes. It would be too easy for Lilly to deprive her of her limited power at Neptune High, so she could wait to really deal with her later. Her threat had been enough to subdue Madison for the time being, but Lilly would see to it that her boldness had further consequences down the line. What Lilly didn't like was that Madison had been right and if it was obvious to Madison, others would begin to pick up on it as well.

Lilly was more tempted than ever to break in on the poker game, but she held her ground. She would have to live with not knowing what happened in that room. She could get the guys to talk, but they were all oblivious. None of them would be able to give her the information she wanted. Lilly found that her drink was empty. That was probably part of her problem. She was not sufficiently buzzed to keep her mind at ease. Making her way back to the selection of alcohol, she was set on refilling her drink and pretending not to care about what was happening at the poker game. The first part was easy enough, but the second got harder when all of the players returned to the party, except for Logan and Veronica. The boys flocked toward the drinks and Lilly was soon surrounded by them.

"Man, your sister is a killer," Dick said as he made himself a drink. As he walked away, he added, "She's a ruthless poker player. Knocked all of us out."

"Is that so?" Lilly kept her voice even.

"Like that's a surprise," Duncan said from Lilly's other side.

"It's not," Lilly said. "What was a surprise was that she decided to play at all."

"Oh, you're just mad she didn't do as you said," Duncan took a sip off his beer, "but she is her own person, you know."

"Of course I know that, Donut," Lilly replied.

"Might want to start acting like it," Duncan said.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"That question you said you would ask her and never did," Duncan started, "well, I asked her and she gave me the answer she knew you wanted to hear."

"So, then everything should be fine," Lilly said.

"I said she gave me the answer you want to hear, not that it was the truth," Duncan said.

"Veronica doesn't lie," Lilly said. "She's not wired to do anything but be moral and honest. Oh bleck, I don't even like to say the words. But, whatever, if she said it, she had to have meant it."

"She's a Kane too, Lilly. She's probably better at hiding things from us than you would like to admit."

"_Whatever_," Lilly repeated, "Where is she anyway? If she beat all of you, why isn't she in here celebrating her win?"

"She hasn't won yet," Duncan answered. "Logan was still putting up a fight with the last of his chips. They're still playing." He looked over at Lilly, "Oh, that's got you thinking. You're worried, aren't you? You are. You're worried because you don't know what's going on out there."

"I have no reason to be worried," Lilly said. She could hide things from her siblings better than anyone. Still, when she faltered, as rare as that was, they were the first to see through her. "Veronica told you so herself."

"Right," Duncan said. "Lilly Kane gets exactly what she wants again, no matter the cost."

"I don't see the problem with that, Duncan," Lilly said. "You've never had a problem with my methods before."

"You weren't going against our sister before," Duncan started to walk away. "Before you go any further with this Logan plan, you need to really talk to her."

Duncan didn't wait for Lilly to respond to his suggestion. It was just another thing for Lilly to pretend she didn't need to think about. She was good at ignoring things that were inconvenient for her purpose. She wouldn't have to go against Veronica if her sister knew what was good for her. Logan was the last guy that Veronica should want to get involved with. It was unlikely that Veronica would see anything in Logan, let alone enough to pursue him when Lilly wanted him. If Veronica did, for some reason, get the misguided idea that she wanted Logan for herself, then Lilly could show her just how misguided it was. Lilly really was looking out for Veronica's best interests. Logan was all wrong for her. If he and Veronica dated, Veronica would just get her heart broken. Veronica loved and trusted too easily for her to not get trampled over by a guy who had never loved nor should be trusted. _If_ Logan liked Veronica, it was because she was pretty, innocent and uncorrupted. Once he had changed that, he would drop her for someone new. Lilly believed she was saving Veronica from all that. It was better that she never go through it. Lilly could give Logan what he wanted long term; she would know what she was getting into from the start. Veronica didn't have a clue. Lilly would show her, though. At least, she would if Veronica and Logan ever came back from the poker game.

Looking at the party going on around her, Lilly was not happy to see everyone else having a good time while she had to fake a smile. Duncan had sought out Meg and they were sitting together off to one side of the room. Shelley and a couple other 09er girls stood a short distance away, where Shelley had a decent angle to glare daggers at the back of Meg's head and they could get off on gossiping amongst themselves. Dick had lured Madison out onto the dance floor. Casey and his girlfriend were making out in a corner on the opposite side of the room. Everyone was doing exactly what they wanted to at the party, while Lilly's plans had to be postponed. That was more aggravating than anything she imagined happening at that moment between Logan and Veronica. If Lilly Kane couldn't enjoy a party, no one should be able to.

To a bystander, what she did next would appear rash, but she had made a calculated decision—not that anyone would ever have to know what she did. Her problem was this: Veronica and Logan were spending too much time alone, and Lilly did not like waiting. She did the one thing she knew would draw Logan back into the party—even if it meant the end of the party. Lilly sneaked away for a quick moment of privacy and when no one was around to see or hear her, she called the cops.

It was a last resort effort, but Lilly was just fine with that if it got the job done. Despite the no nonsense front the Sheriff's department put up about bridging the gap between the classes in Neptune and offering no favoritism to any demographic, there wasn't a single officer that would do a thing about the goings on at the party, except request that it be broken up. Lilly knew that once that officer got a look at who was in attendance at the party, her would make some remark about keeping the noise down, making good choices, and sending everyone home safely _before_ any legal action had to be taken. The officer would make an empty threat about what would happen if he had to come back, knowing already that if he did come back he couldn't touch any of these rich kids with their high society parents and their fancy lawyers on speed dial and certain that he wouldn't be coming back even if he got more noise complaints. Lilly knew the way the world worked. It wasn't fair, but she was just fine with that as long as the scale tipped in her favor.

Lilly waited out the arrival of one of Neptune's finest near the front entrance. She made small talk with whoever wandered close enough to her; she didn't want to look like she was staking out the door. Her real attention was focused on the door. When a cruiser finally did arrive, Lilly couldn't help but smile to herself. Her plan had gone in an unexpected, but even better, direction. It wasn't just any officer at the Echolls' door. It was the beloved Sheriff himself, Keith Mars.

Lilly quickly put on the shocked face that was appropriate for the circumstances and grabbed the person closest to her, "Quick, get Logan. The Sheriff is here."

Once the kid had run off to alert Logan to the situation, Lilly's smile appeared again. She couldn't wait to see how this change of events shook things up with Logan and their precious Veronica.


End file.
